1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical device of the type having at least one device component, which is connected to a mount having two elements that can be displaced relative to each other in a motorized fashion, and a control and computing unit which controls the motorized relative movements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
German OS 196 11 705 teaches an X-ray pickup system with a first stand, which can be displaced in three dimensions in space and at which an X-ray receiver is arranged, and a second stand, at which an X-ray source is arranged. Sensors detect the position of the X-ray receiver in space. A computer forms a control signal, with the aid of the sensor signals fed to it, for the displacement of the X-ray source, so that the X-ray source is automatically oriented to the X-ray receiver. Due to the arrangement of the X-ray receiver separately from the X-ray source, the X-ray receiver can also be operated as an X-ray pickup unit with other X-ray sources.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,548 teaches a system and a method for pre-calibrating the position of the focal spot of an X-ray tube prior to its installation in a computed tomography device. In a test device which copies the exposure of the X-ray tube in the computed tomography device, at least three beam paths are defined using a system of openings, these paths intersecting in the desired position of the focal spot on the anode of the X-ray tube. In the beam paths, X-ray detectors are arranged by means of which the deviation of the focal spot from its desired position can be determined and the desired location of the focal spot can be set.
Many imaging systems have a movable C-arm X-ray device which has a C-arm which is supported at a mount and at which an X-ray system, comprising an X-ray source and an X-ray receiver, is arranged. The C-arm is usually supported at the mount so as to be displaceable along its perimeter for X-ray pickups at different directions of projection. The mount is usually formed by a number of elements which can be moved relative to one another in a motorized fashion for vertical and horizontal displacement of the C-arm. In this way, the C-arm X-ray device can be used for a number of different medical examinations.
The use of this type of C-arm X-ray device is problematic, however, or has significant difficulties, if the X-ray device (e.g. for diagnostic purposes in orthopedics) is to be used for a series of X-ray pickups of a body part of a patient, whereby, in the course of the X-ray pickups, the X-ray system of the X-ray device must be moved as linearly as possible directly or indirectly along a line in space. A linear movement of the X-ray system along a horizontally extending line in space in the course of a series of X-ray pickups is practically impossible with known C-arm X-ray devices.